Geology of National Parks

Posted by Alexandra Matiella Novak Mar 4, 2009

I recently wrote an article about the geology of Mt. Rushmore. The inspiration for this article came from me recently surfing the internet for information about national parks that I'd like to visit this summer. I am going to be taking a small road trip around the northern midwest, filling up my National Parks Passport with stamps from parks in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.

The parks I will be visiting in order are:

1. Fort Union Trading Post National Historical Site (ND)
2. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND)
3. Mt. Rushmore National Memorial (SD)
4. Jewel Cave National Monument (SD)
5. Wind Cave National Park (SD)
6. Badlands National Park (SD)
7. Pipestone National Monument (MN)

As I was clicking around these websites, I came across some great information about the geology in some of these parks. Hence the article "Geology of Mt. Rushmore". I also learned that the geology of some of these parks is connected. Limestone deposits around the outskirts of the Black Hills, where Mt. Rushmore is located, are part of the same limestone formations that make up Jewel Cave NM and Wind Cave NP.

I've always loved visiting national parks and have been collecting stamps in my National Park Passport for almost 20 years - it is one of my most prized possessions and I'm really excited to add seven more stamps this summer. One of the things I've always loved most about visiting these areas is exploring the geology, even as a child. One of the earliest stamps in my passport is from Arches National Park. I was fascinated by the structures created by erosion in the sandstones at Arches NP and the fine grained loose sand that was left behind in the thin, curving canyons. The best feeling ever is running barefoot on silky cool sand on a hot summer day in the desert.

I'm planning on familiarizing myself with the geology of the parks I'll be visiting this summer which should make my visits much more enjoyable. I encourage your family to do the same. It's so easy to find out what kind of geology prevails at any given park. This information is readily available through the parks' websites. It will add another dimension to your visit and another opportunity to explore the wonderful world of geology!

Remember, you can not take rocks or fossils out of a national park. In fact, at some parks, like Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, it is considered bad luck.